After the raffle had just wrapped up and most everyone had cleared out, Sonny and his buddy Fabian were in the campground pavilion with me and Sonny asked about a Trophy Trough I might make for him.  That made me realize what I almost forgot to do.  I exclaimed, "oh fuck!" and ran out of the pavilion to my truck.  I'd made a custom 48" Trophy Trough for Captain Jake Mitchell, as a thank you for selling the raffle tickets and an acknowledgement of his status as a legitimate ambassador for Shelter Cove.

I presented the big Trough to Jake as the last move of the evening for the event, with only a handful of people there.  I wish I would've remembered to present him with it while everyone was still there.  Jake was stoked, and he told those of us standing there that he samples fish for a government science agency using a janky old trough.  Now he's got a new tool for the measuring and something to remember us kayakers by.

Finally!  Got around to unpacking and checking out my cool shirts.  Did anyone notice the year is not indicated on them?

For sure, Jerry.  I had originally worked with a local artist back in early 2020, Shawn Griggs - great guy who I've known since we were kids, and he has a studio in Ferndale - and I purchased the art for GS14 that was exactly like this year's art, but it had "14th Annual" above it.  When it came around to this year, I asked my printer if he could alter what I'd sent to him 5 years ago but never used - he said no problem.  So this year's art became a more general form of the Gimme Shelter piece.  I was very aware of it, but I felt that I should use it as it was rather than trying to engineer a new piece with more specific information about the year.  Admittedly, I feel I learned a lesson by dropping a bunch of money on the art back in early 2020, and then having to cancel due to covid.  One of the incentives for me to hold the event again was to use this art, and I'm very glad that I did.  I plan to use it in the future and just get different colored shirts and hoodies, but that plan could change.  More importantly, I realized in executing the tournament again that I really missed the community and interactions. 

The gear is fun to produce, and I'll always try to make it special.  I appreciate the feedback and will consider looking at how I can use Shawn's art and at the same time provide a date reference.

Right on.   

Joy

Make lemonade!

So stoked to have Brandi leading up the printing extravaganza.   

Queen of the Print

I angled a few of these guys for fish printing - so fun!